Antonio Fins, executive director, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

Last week: Kudos to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for their unanimous vote on Thursday to ban an abusive fishing practice. In a 7-0 tally, the FWC prohibited the use of the infamous “Boca Grand jig,” a decidedly unsportsmanlike way to snag tarpon. The use of the Boca Grande jig was the source of a bitter and divisive debate on the other side of Alligator Alley. That ugly dispute has now been put to rest thanks to the FWC.

Looking ahead: The good work on shark research by the scientists at Nova Southeastern University's oceanographic center has seemingly suffered a maddening setback. It appears two of the sharks tagged by NSU – in an effort to learn more about their migration patterns – have apparently been caught and presumably killed. One of the sharks had traveled over 3,400 miles since it was tagged in May. That journey seems to have come to a sad end.

Aug. 25

Last week: Thanks to an alert fishing boat captain, the Coast Guard recently busted an illegal fishing operation in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Texas coast. Among the cargo the Coast Guard seized – 300 pounds of shark meat. More than likely, shark fins. Illegal fishing costs all of us. It flaunts rules designed to protect fisheries and conserve vital marine resources. It happens everywhere, however. Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t always get the enforcement, funding and public attention it requires.

Next week: The unexplained deaths of dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico have generated attention in recent weeks. The phenomenon is likely to draw more interest now that dolphins are showing up dead off the coast of Virginia. The problem first surfaced 18 months ago, and no one really knows why it happened. In the Gulf, speculation focused on some post-oil spill factor. But how does that explain what we are seeing off the U.S. east coast?

Aug. 18

Last week: Kudos to the teens and others who tried to rescue a beached blue marlin in Vero Beach this week. The marlin beached itself after being chased by a hammerhead shark. The teens and others tried to get it back in the water, but were unsuccessful. A beached marlin is not something you see everyday. Hats off to all of them for being alert and knowing what to do.

Looking ahead: I hope people are talking about the disaster at the Indian River Lagoon Estuary just to our north. High levels of nitrogen, perhaps from fertilizers used by people, are suspected of placing the estuary at the brink of ecological collapse. In the past year, nearly 300 manatees, bottlenose dolphins, pelicans and other wildlife have died there. Why? The nitrogen influx has altered the water and fauna of the lagoon for worse. This won’t be addressed unless someone, like the Lorax said, cares a whole lot.

Aug. 11

Last week: While traveling in Puerto Rico, I came across this item in the San Juan Star. Workers painting a hotel in San Juan's Condado district are accused of dumping gallons of excess paint in a nearby lagoon — perhaps killing thousands of oysters placed there in June in a water-quality improvement project. Enough said.

Looking ahead: We are nearing the end of summer vacation, meaning, kids, the first day of you-know-what is coming up. Enjoy the last days of summer with a trip to the beach. But don't think of it as beach. Look at it as the edge of a vast wilderness and make a point to learn more about it in science this school year.

Aug. 4

Last week: Here is something you will find pretty neat. Go to: http://www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/tracking/.

Or http://sharks-ocearch.verite.com.

These sites feature shark migratory treks from trackers fixed to sharks.The second site, in particular, is noteworthy because these sharks were tagged a week ago at a groundbreaking shark catch-and-release tournament in Montauk, N.Y. Fans of Jaws will know of Montauk, and it's "monster" shark fishing lore, as the scene-setter for the movie and novel.Shark tracking is the rage in marine science these days. Check out the tracks and you will see why.

Looking ahead: It’s Shark Week – you know, great for sharks and bad for seals.

Except the other 51 weeks a year it’s not so great for sharks. Anywhere from 70 million to 100 million sharks are killed each year, largely for their fins. At this rate, we’ll deplete our oceans of this vital apex predator.

Keep that in mind as this year’s Shark Week unfolds. And make it a point to learn more about shark conservation and protection efforts.

The more sharks, the better Shark Week would be for all of us. Except for the seals, of course.

July 21

Last week: I wrote last month about a sub expedition to bring attention to the silent lionfish invasion off our coast, which threatens to devastate ecosystems and our marine economy. And yet, few people even knew about it. Not so few anymore. Social media finally bit on the coverage of the sub expedition's findings — that lionfish are taking over natural and artificial reefs, even at deep depths. Solutions are badly in need, but the first step is to raise awareness. This week was a win in that regard.

Looking ahead: Just about everyone has seen the movie Jaws. What they might not know is the story after Jaws — and no, not the gazillion sequels. Jaws fueled the zeal for shark-kill tournaments. Now, almost 40 years later, shark kill tournaments are going catch-and-release. Why? Because people realize killing sharks for fun is wrong, and bad for our oceans’ health. This week, keep an eye out for the first ever catch-and-release, shark-tagging tournament in Montauk, N.Y. It’s historic in part because Montauk’s shark-fishing culture helped inspire Jaws.

July 14

Last week: The European Union finally closed loopholes allowing for shark finning. Shark finning is the barbaric practice of catching a shark, slicing off its fins and then mercilessly dumping the shark in the ocean to die. (The fins are in demand for shark fin soup, a delicacy in Asia.) Finning isn't just a cruel practice. It's leading to the depletion of shark populations in our oceans. Anywhere from 30 million to 100 million sharks are killed each year.

The EU ban won't end the slaughter, but hopefully it will save some sharks in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Looking ahead: Three cheers for South Florida's Mahogany Youth Corp. On July 19, they'll take 130 kids fishing in a program co-hosted with Concerned African American Women. The event was planned for last week, but was postponed when Tropical Storm Chantal formed. Groups like Mahogany Youth do critical work. Across coastal Florida, too many youths don't have the opportunity to interact with the ocean. Those that don't miss out big time. So do the rest of us. We need to cultivate a next generation of Floridians that understand why a healthy ocean is important for our ecology and our economy.

July 7

Looking ahead: A recurring theme I hear all over coastal Florioda is this: Kids from low-income, Title I and economically disadvantaged communities and schools don't get the opportunity to ineract with the ocean. Many don't even see it, even if they live close enough to smell the saltwater breeze.

That's why groups like South Florida's Mahogany Youth Corp. play such a vital role. They take kids fishing. They take them to our shorelines. Many of the youths they work with are at-risk kids -- meaning they are on the wrong track.

This coming Friday, July 12, Mahogany Youth is taking 120-plus kids fishing off the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Doing so does more than give these youths a nice outing. It helps cultivate a next generation of Floridians who understand why a healthy ocean is important. And it opens up potential career paths.

There are a lot of groups doing great community work in our schools and neighborhoods. Count Mahogany Youth Corp. among those."

June 30

Looking ahead: The price for inaction is clear again, this time in Western Africa. As reported by CNN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared the black rhino extinct. The group blamed poaching, citing figures showing that killing of black rhinos for their horns rose by roughly 50 percent between 2011 and 2012. Some 2,400 black rhinos are estimated to have been killed since 2006. So why don't we go after species that are abundant and problematic and lay off those in danger? Money.

Last week: A series of sub dives off Broward's coast revealed potentially good news about the lion fish invasion threatening our coastal marine ecosystems.On one dive to a wreck at 75 feet, researchers reported seeing fewer lion fish than expected. Conventional wisdom is that local divers have been spearing them out — which backs a similar assessment from a study in Grand Cayman suggesting consistent fishing of the voracious invaders could help check their population growth. We still have a huge problem, but promising solutions might be out there.

July 23

Looking ahead: We'll be paid a visit by a lion fish "attack sub" visiting South Florida. OceanGate's sub will draw much needed attention to these invasive fish that threaten our reef systems.

Last week’s headline: From the "Huh?" Dept: Marine Science Today reported that proposed NOAA rules to the 2010 Shark Conservation Act might actually lessen protection for sharks. Problem is language in the rules could allow the federal government to overturn strong state rules banning the barbaric practice of shark finning.

June 16, 2013

Last Week: From our view, it was the killing of a 1,300-pound Mako shark off the coast of Southern California.

The landing of this shark made national and international news -- and sparked a spirited and necessary conversation about the fishing of sharks. In this case, although this shark would have set a world record, the fisherman was going to be disqualified for using a harness.

In any event, sharks are the apex predators in our oceans, and they are crucial to balanced, healthy marine ecosystems.

However, we are fishing them at unsustainable rates -- anywhere from 30 million to 100 million a year depending on who is estimating. Regardless of the number, we are running the risk of depleting our seas of these critical and majestic species.

In the case of the SoCal mako, this shark was essentially killed for nothing. A terrible waste of a shark that could have bred.

Worse, the commentary surrounding this episode again raised the baseless specter of sharks intentionally stalking and attacking humans when in fact shark bites are very rare.

It's time we put the Jaws myth to rest, but that won't happen until we become a lot more enlightened about sharks.

Looking Ahead: The lion fish invasion will be getting a lot -- and necessary commentary -- in the next two weeks. State regulators have discussed permitting more aggressive fishing for them. And a lion fish "attack sub" will be at Port Everglades at month's end.